No, Vikings Fans Shouldn’t Be Mad at the Players and Coaches for the NFC Championship Loss

I'm going to make this pretty simple, Minnesota Vikings fans should be ecstatic with the 2017 season and not throwing shade at those that got them to the NFC Championship game.

For the most part, I thought that this season went better than many would of expected preseason and especially after the Vikes lost their starting QB and RB earlier in the year.

Most teams would of be resigned to thinking about a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft but the Vikings took disapointment and turned it into a historic season.

They had the #1 defense, a QB come out of nowhere and play at times as good as any QB in the league and clinched a first round bye with a home playoff game.

And oh yeah, that thing called the 'Minneapolis Miracle' happened too.

Of course disappointment is normal, but to see lifelong Vikigns fans on social media calling out the preparedness of the head coach or the focus of the offensive coordinator because he interviewed for a head coaching job the week before is foolish.

YOU MADE THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WHILE THE CLEVELAND BROWNS DIDN'T WIN A GAME. YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE GETTING ANGRY AND LASHING OUT AT THOSE WHO TOOK YOU ON THIS AWESOME RIDE!

I have been accused of not having empathy or compassion for the fans and to an extent at times that can be true. Fans don't play the game, they only buy tickets and cheer and that certainly doesn't give them a right to act like fools and treat the players like crap.

The players are the ones i have the true empathy and compassion for, because they are the ones putting blood, sweat and tears into their profession unlike fans putting energy into a hobby.

I feel for guys like defensive end Brian Robison who busts his tail to work every single day to deliver for the fans.

I feel for guys like Mike Zimmer who puts 20 hour days in to help the Vikings win.

I feel for the behind the scenes employees who do whatever they can to make game day as fun as possible.

I have a hard time lumping in a fan who puts three hours in cheering on a Sunday in the same group as the above mentioned folks.

And just to set the record strait, they didn't quit, they were prepared and Shurmur wasn't distracted because of an interview... They lost to a team that played better than them. Easy enough.

Loyalty in sports is over rated, but there is a line between moving on to a new team and running the bus over your old team as you do.

If you believe the Vikings will always disappoint you, then move on, find another team and that is ok, but what isn't ok is thinking 2017 was a lost year. It was a hell of a year for the Minnesota Vikings.

Of course disappointment sucks, but to lash out and act like you are owed something is played out and simply annoying.